Vancouver City Councillor

Broadway Corridor subway would equal Canada Line the day it opened, generate jobs, reduce congestion

According to a new report on the Broadway Corridor, jointly sponsored by the City of Vancouver, UBC and the Vancouver Economic Commission, a new subway to UBC would unlock high tech jobs, reduce congestion and stimulate economic development.

Released today by Mayor Gregor Robertson and UBC president Stephen Toope, the report underlines some important realities:

this crucial economic centre, serving the entire region, is seriously underserved, with 500,000 pass-ups a year on the current bus system;

a new subway would match Canada Line travel on its opening day, given the pent-up demand; and

job development, already ahead of forecast, was jump even faster, especially if transit-oriented housing opened up along the alignment.

Other advantages: low operating costs and very low costs per new rider. Earlier reports by Vancouver’s transporation engineers have demonstrated that LRT technology would be unacceptably disruptive and insufficient to meet demand.

Geoff Meggs was elected to City Council in November 2008 on the Vision Vancouver team led by Gregor Robertson. He lives with his wife, Jan O’Brien in a False Creek town house. They have two adult daughters. READ MORE